HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (June 11, 2024) – Michael Miller of Knollwood went wire-to-wire to win the 102nd Westchester Open Presented by Poland Spring, finishing the job on Tuesday at The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club . The win is Miller’s fifth career WGA title.
Miller finished the 54-hole event at 9-under after carding an even-par 71 in the final round to win by seven shots over Mike Ballo Jr., of Tamarack. Brent Ito , Joe Monte of Woodway, and Cian Curley of Trump National – Westchester finished at 1-under to round out the top five.
“It means a lot,” said Miller. “I grew up in the Westchester area. It was the only one in the Westchester area that I hadn’t won. I had been playing really and I knew if I could do my thing, I would be ok. I take this with confidence and to beat a field like this makes me excited about the rest of the summer.”
In the final round on Tuesday, Miller found himself three-over after six before making birdie the final three holes on the front nine to make the turn at even par for the round and 9-under for the tournament. Two of those birdies came on par-5s—Nos. 7 and 9. After a bogey on the par-3 10th, Miller birdied another par five—the 12th—before making birdie on Nos. 12, 15, and 16 to move to 11-under. Bogeys followed for Miller on the 17th and 18th to close.
Michael Miller entered the week knowing he was playing well and ended up achieving a longtime goal of winning the Westchester Open… and he did so in dominating fashion. pic.twitter.com/wLTtHUQvuc
— Westchester Golf Association (@WGA1916) June 12, 2024
The 32-year-old distanced himself from the field on the back nine of round two. A double-bogey six on the second hole trimmed Miller’s lead to one over several players. However, Miller rallied, making birdies on Nos. 3, 5, 6, and 9 while converting an eagle on the par-5 seventh en route to a 3-under 68 and a six-shot lead over the field.
Over the three rounds, Miller took advantage of the par-5s at Saint Andrew’s, playing them in 9-under par. He tallied nine birdies, an eagle, and two bogeys — both on No. 17 — to propel himself to victory.
Ballo Jr. and Ito tallied 3-under 68s to share Tuesday afternoon’s best round of the final 18. The pair were the only two players to break 70. Ballo Jr. birdied the par-4 11th and eagled the par-5 12th to get into red figures for the championship. Ito went bogey-free over his final 12 holes and sprinkled in four birdies to finish in red numbers, too.
Timothy Hegarty of Sleepy Hollow and Dylan Gallagher of Rockland shared low amateur honors, finishing at 1-over par.
With the win, Miller is exempt into the 109th Met Open Presented by Callaway at Wee Burn Country Club on August 20 – 22.
Historic Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, founded in 1888 and one of the five founding clubs of the USGA, hosted its first-ever Westchester Open.
